An Adventurous Family's Guide to Things to Do in Thredbo in Summer

From Mount Kosciuszko summit walk to live music at sundown, here’s why the Snowies sparkle brightest once the snow has shuffled off for the year.

There's something magical about visiting a ski town like Thredbo when the snow has melted. The mountains still loom large, but the vibe shifts. The alpine town puts on a show of wildflowers, hiking trails and happily running rivers, and a new playground emerges.

Named after the Ngarigo word Thar‑doo (meaning ‘ragged mountains’), Thredbo sits 1365 metres above sea level on the cracked granite flank of Mt Kosciuszko and is one of Australia's most loved winter towns. But the snowless seasons here shouldn’t be considered a consolation prize; there are plenty of things to do in Thredbo in summer, spring, and autumn that don’t include a snowboard.  

Australia is the only continent where regular people can stroll to the country’s highest point, Mount Kosciuszko Summit, without crampons or oxygen tanks. Catch the Kosciuszko Express chairlift, then join the metal‑mesh path snaking over snow‑daisy plains to the 2228 metre peak. Expect a five-to-six-hour return - as long as you’re not travelling with very small children - with a thigh‑friendly 550-metre elevation gain. The lookout at Rawson Pass has solar‑powered loos, a welcome modern miracle at altitude.

For something more gentle, the short but ridiculously scenic Riverside Walk is a one‑hour ramble that starts at the little timber‑and‑stone Thredbo Alpine Chapel, hugs the river, passes the ninth green of Thredbo Golf Course and circles past Cascades Lookout. Platypus are regulars at dawn and dusk for those with patience and a quiet footfall.

If you prefer going with gravity, hire an e‑bike and glide along Thredbo Valley Track, which is 16.6 kilometres stitched together by five suspension bridges. The trail shadows the Thredbo River all the way to Bullocks Hut near Lake Crackenback. Allow two to three hours one way (shuttles will helpfully take you back), and keep an eye out for adorable flame robins flitting through the snow‑gums. If your crew are early risers, the sunrise on the TVT’s second suspension bridge is amazing, with the entire Ramshead Range glowing pink and gold before you.

For a real thrill, the Thredbo Alpine Coaster, the first all‑season alpine coaster of The Southern Hemisphere, stretches 1.5 kilometres; the track snakes through tunnels, swoops over bridges and spirals across mountain terrain. Riders govern their own pace (anything up to 40 km/h if the adrenaline calls) for those aged eight and up who stand at least 135 cm tall. Little adventurers (aged three to seven) can still get in on the fun by sharing a cart with a supervising rider 15 years or older.

Locals love: When thunderstorms roll in (and they do), duck into the 50-metre heated pool, waterslide and Mission Inflatable obstacle course at the Thredbo Leisure Centre. Casual entry includes the bouldering wall and squash courts – super handy when energy outpaces the weather report.

Thredbo Mountain Bike Park boasts 40 kilometres of lift‑access trails. Warm up on Ricochet (4 kilometres of flowing berms) before eye‑ing off Cannonball: 3.3 kilometres of rock gardens, 16 percent gradient and 600-metre vertical drop. Triple‑clamp rental bikes, full‑face lids and body armour are compulsory for black‑diamond bragging rights.

For the newbies, Thredbo MTB School runs two‑hour beginner clinics on the green‑rated Kosciuszko Flow trail, a 10-kilometre ribbon of easy berms linked by the chairlift. Kids’ 24‑inch dual‑suspension bikes are available to hire, and there’s a shortcut exit at Bunny Walk if little legs give out.

To get up close and personal with the Snowy Mountains, K7 Adventures runs an excellent half‑day rock‑climbing and abseiling trip that tackles Eagle Rock’s 25-metre granite face. Guides juggle everything from top‑rope 13s for beginners to multi pitch 20s for seasoned crushers. The final abseil delivers aerial views of the Thredbo River curling through wildflower meadows.

Locals love: Or tee off on Australia’s highest fairway at Thredbo Golf Course. Hole 3, Snake Pit, dog‑legs beside the river and slices into water; Hole 7, Wally Wombat’s House, tempts brave drivers over a bunker‑guarded green.

Just 15 minutes east of Thredbo Village, Novotel Lake Crackenback Resort and Spa sprawls beside a mirror‑still lake ringed by snow‑gums and visited daily by friendly kangaroos. An adventure playground unto itself, guests paddle canoes across the private lake at sunrise, chase each other round the nine‑hole par‑3 golf and disc‑golf courses, or ride on the dedicated mountain‑bike track that links straight into the famed Thredbo Valley Track. Kids burn off steam on trampolines and tennis courts while parents test their aim at the complimentary archery range, and wander the lakeside sculpture‑trail.

When it’s time to unwind, the heated indoor pool, sauna and fully equipped gym sit a quick flip‑flop from the Lake Crackenback Spa and Wellness Centre, where alpine‑aroma massages and hot‑stone rituals soothe trail‑tired muscles. The family-sized apartments and chalet‑style lodges come with fireplaces, full kitchens, and decks that catch technicolour mountain sunsets. 

Guests love: Novotel’s family policy means up to two children under sixteen stay free in their parents’ room and tuck into the buffet breakfast on the house, leaving more coin for an indulgent post‑hike spa treatment.

Start your day at Avalanche Café by staking out a sunrise bench with a perfectly made single‑origin flat white and a bacon‑and‑egg mountain burger. For lunch, head to Cascades Restaurant, where smoked Snowy Mountains trout bruschetta shares the plate with Tumbarumba chardonnay views through panoramic glass. Dress code is “whatever you wore on the mountain” and it’s got a relaxed, kid-friendly atmosphere. 

When the chairlifts stop spinning, slide over to The Mad Mexican inside House of Ullr for surprisingly authentic, and delicious, Latin American food. Open for both breakfast and dinner, kids will go wild for the housemade churros and chocolate dipping sauce, while parents tuck into the chilli margaritas and chipotle beef tacos. 

January and February see the Summer Music Series crank up free gigs on the Alpine Bar’s expansive deck. Indie‑folk one weekend, blues the next, all backdropped by purple‑hazed peaks. Seats around the fire pits go by 5 pm; bring a beanie, the mercury plummets after sunset.

Locals love: Finally, parents and grown-up kids should round out the day at the Thredbo Gin Lab where local botanicals, from native pepperberry to snow‑gum honey, turn G&T flights into liquid geography lessons. Live acoustic sets most weekends provide a soundtrack to your high‑altitude sundowner.

Download the free Thredbo app before you hit the hill and you’ll spend more time adventuring, less time faffing about in lift queues. Real‑time lift and trail status, live weather cams and push alerts keep hikers one step ahead of the clouds, while mountain‑bikers can track their runs, brag‑worthy vertical and top speeds. It also lets you pre‑load passes, book lessons, reserve a restaurant table or call shuttle pick‑ups with a tap, then replay your day on the interactive map over après.